The dark wood interior of the OSU Memorial Union ballroom got a splash of white on September 23rd, when Dr. Sherri Morris, president-elect of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, assisted the class of 2015 in donning their first lab coats as veterinary medicine students. The annual White Coat Ceremony included an inspiring speech by American Veterinary Medical Association student chapter president, Leslie Nies, who encouraged her fellow students to find joy, humor, humility and camaraderie in the next four years of professional school. Associate Dean Susan Tornquist introduced each student to the audience of faculty, staff, families, and industry professionals and shared some impressive statistics: the class of 2015 is 93% female with a grade point average of 3.56. Dean Cyril Clarke welcomed the students and congratulated them on being a select group of 56 from more than 500 applicants.
The white coat ceremony was preceded by a dinner sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and followed by a presentation of new stethoscopes to each student. The lab coats and stethoscopes were provided courtesy of the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association See more photos of the ceremony.